Asbestos cladding dangers and how we can help

Asbestos cladding is not just a problem of the past. It can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000. According to the HSE it still kills around 5000 workers each year, around 20 tradespeople die each week as a result of past exposure. These are very worrying statistics for those responsible for maintaining a building.

Asbestos

When roofs or cladding that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. If these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately but they often take a long time to develop. Once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything. Asbestos can cause the following fatal and serious diseases: Mesothelioma, Asbestos-related lung cancer, Asbestosis and Pleural thickening. This is why it is important that you act now to protect your staff and anyone that is going to be in close contact with your building.

Free on-site survey

We can help you ensure your buildings and working environments are safe for you and your staff. We aim to provide an exceptional customer service experience from start to finish. As a result, it is vital that we fully understand your requirements and the property before carrying out any work. Therefore, we offer free on-site surveys before starting a repair or refurbishment project to ensure your needs are met to the highest standard. It is at this stage, if we found it necessary, that we would recommend having an asbestos cladding and roof survey or test which we can arrange on your behalf.

Galbestos

In some cases the metal cladding is Galbestos, a metal cladding produced as a corrosion resistant metal for roofing and siding panels. This is also unsafe. In the manufacturing process asbestos fibres were completely encapsulated by the asphalt. Galbestos coated metal was used on a wide range of buildings from its introduction in 1948 until manufacture was terminated in 1979 due to environmental restrictions of the asbestos products that Galbestos contains.

Although less asbestos levels are omitted by in-tact Galbestos, if it does need to be cut by an abrasive saw the levels exceed regulations. How do you know if your cladding is Galbestos? It is quite tricky to tell and you can never be sure without having a test but the texture of the finish on the cladding does differ from plastisol coated cladding in most cases. Again if necessary we can arrange a test on your behalf.

Solutions

If the report is showing dangerous levels of Asbestos and risks to your workforce, Cladding Coatings can safely replace with metal or overclad with metal. If this is the case we can provide you with a fully bespoke quotation to not only make your building safe again but looking smart and presentable. We pride ourselves on our service, we work around you and your schedules resulting in minimum disruption to your business. We do not refurbish or re-coat asbestos under any circumstances.

Unfortunately asbestos cladding and roofs are still widely present in buildings throughout the UK today and will be for years to come. With our knowledge and experience in the industry you can trust us to make your building safe for the future.

Please get in touch to discuss your concerns about Asbestos and Galbestos in your building and we will be happy to help and put your mind at ease.